The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo going to London, United Kingdom at the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos International Airport.
The Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement on Sunday said, the illicit drug consignment weighing 30.10 kilograms with a street value of N567million was detected and seized by the operatives of the Agency at the airport on May 26.
The seizures, according to Babafemi, was swiftly followed by series of follow-up operations that led to the arrest of a freight agent, Nwobodo Chidiebere, a female suspect, Chioma Lucy Akuta and ultimately the drug lord behind the shipment, Charles Chinedu Ezeh, who was arrested at Sotel Suites, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos on May 18.
Ezeh claims he is a businessman and deals in articles in Onitsha, Anambra State but investigations revealed that he lived with his wife and children in London until 10th December 2022 when he fled to Nigeria after his involvement in a drug-related offence in the UK.
Though he claimed to have been living in hotels since his return to Nigeria last December, operatives were however able to locate his mansion at No. 1 Hawawu Abikan Street, Lekki, on Friday, where a search was conducted and his travel and property documents among others were recovered.
The statement said NDLEA operatives in Adamawa on 15th May arrested a 32-year-old notorious drug dealer, Prince Ikechukwu Uzoma, in Mubi area of the state with 1kg of skunk. Ikechukwu had twice been arrested in the past, and convicted for the same offence.
He was 2017 sentenced to six months imprisonment and in 2019 he was again sent to two years in jail.
In the same vein, a trans-border trafficker, Faisal Mohammed was on 17th May arrested in Mubi following the interception of a truck from Onitsha, Anambra State, where a total of 2, 376 sachets of tramadol comprising 23,760 pills were found concealed in three blue rubber Jerrycans which were hidden underneath the body part of the trailer. The suspect admitted the opioid was to be taken to Cameroon.
In Oyo state, two suspects, Osas Susan, and Thomas Biodun were arrested at Igbon, Gambari in Ogbomoso North LGA with 2.13kg cannabis while Idris Muhammed was nabbed with 4,500 pills of tramadol when a commercial bus conveying him and other passengers was stopped and searched along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Similarly, Bulus Mikah was arrested at Kafanchan, Kaduna state with over 5kg opioids including tramadol, diazepam, rohypnol and exol-5, just as a total of 965kg cannabis was seized from Shehu Muhammadu Dandare at Maraban Jos, in Igabi local government area of the state.
While 552kg cannabis was recovered from a warehouse in a bush when operatives stormed and destroyed 1.5 hectares of cannabis farm in Uhodoua forest, Esan South East LGA, Edo state, 10 suspects were arrested with a total of 5.587kg cannabis sativa, 144.4grams of methamphetamine and 48, 260 capsules of tramadol in different parts of Onitsha, Anambra state on Friday 19th May.
In Kwara state, two suspects, Mohammed Isa and Mohammed Haman, were arrested on Friday along Ilorin/Lagos road in a commercial bus on their way to Maiduguri, Borno state with 6kg cannabis, 50 grams of methamphetamine and 20 pieces of military camouflage caps and uniforms.
